Top Officials Gather for Columbia County Park Ceremony

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy joined Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan as well as state and local officials in a groundbreaking ceremony at Harrier Hill Park, our recently acquired property in the Town of Stockport, just north of the City of Hudson (Columbia).

With dramatic views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains as a backdrop, Scenic Hudson opened the press conference by describing construction plans for Harrier Hill Park, including an open-sided pavilion with a corncrib-inspired design, a ADA accessible trail, an information kiosk and parking area.

Congressman Murphy's remarks stressed the link between open space preservation and economic development. "As we've seen over time and all over the county, there was a lot of developmental sprawl, and people are really responding to that and trying to find balance. We want to be able to have space to develop new manufacturing and new retail and housing but at the same time I think it's important to preserve some green space in an organized way. Scenic Hudson has done an admirable job working to conserve this land."

Additional details are in Scenic Hudson's press release as well as as in a recent article and editorial in the Hudson Register-Star.